A well-known Swift Current resident has been recognized for her contributions to society becoming one of the province's first Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal recipients.
Betty McDougall along with 69 other residents of Saskatchewan were awarded the medal by Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty on Tuesday afternoon at a ceremony held in Regina.
The former teacher said it was an honour to be nominated and considered for the prestigious medal.
"I think it's kind of the icing on the cake because the real joy is from contributing to the community and seeing things grow and flourish that you may have had a hand in," she said. "To be one of the eventually 7,000 people to receive the medal is just, wow."
McDougall moved to Swift Current in 1979 after a seven-year stint as an educator in Qu'Appelle. She went to work right away volunteering as a Block Person.
"The expectation in small towns particularly was that if you were a teacher then you got involved in the community and extracurricular activities," she said. "That was sort of the trigger and it progressed from there."
Since then she's spent time volunteering with the Youth Multicultural Group, Southwest Recreation Association, Swift Current Ag & Ex, and multiple provincial boards.
"What I loved the most was identifying where there is a gap and working to address that gap," she said. "I've been a founding member on quite a few initiatives."
McDougall had a chance in late 2013 to connect back to her passion and help youth when she became the development coordinator for the Southwest Youth Emergency Shelter.
"To see all the work that had gone in before my time, even with that little bump we had, to now see it flourishing and thriving," she said.
She retired as the executive director of Dorie's House in June of 2017 just months after the facility opened for its first go-around.
This is her fifth prestigious medal, following the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan, and the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal.
